Maharashtra to rope in Vivek Oberoi to promote 'Van Dhan Jan Dhan'

Maharashtra government has decided to join hands with Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi to promote 'Van Dhan Jan Dhan' shops in the state.

Vivek Oberoi

'Van Dhan Jan Dhan' shops are being set up in Maharashtra that sell handicrafts, bio-fuel and other products made exclusively of materials available in forest.

"Vivek Oberoi has promised to give the state government all possible help in promoting 'Van Dhan Jan Dhan' shops across Maharashtra. The actor told me he had been recently to Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts and seeing the condition of tribals living there, he decided to help them earn a living," Maharashtra Forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told PTI.

The 39-year-old actor met Mungantiwar at the latter's office in the state secretariat today and discussed ways in which he could prove to be useful to the state government.

The minister further said that Oberoi is already into social work and has been running an NGO since the last 13 years that ensures that children of sex workers are able to take up a better profession in future and do not get involved into flesh trade.

"He has already helped 200 such children," Mungantiwar said.

He further said that the state government is willing to use Oberoi's popularity to help promote the shops and that he can also collect funds through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme.

Meanwhile, Oberoi said, "The forest department has helped extensively to process market and is also financing for forest products like honey, jam, Ayurvedic oil through this scheme. I wanted to help the tribal people in any possible way and thus decided to be a part of the scheme."